
Sr. Principal Automation & Pharmaceutical Packaging Engineer
Rockford, ILFull-time$137–165K/yrSeen 2w agoSeen in employer's feed today
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Requirements
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Job overview
PCI Pharma Services seeks a Sr. Principal Automation & Pharmaceutical Packaging Engineer to lead the design, development, integration, and implementation of automated packaging equipment and manufacturing systems. The role oversees equipment and facility projects, capital budgets, installations, testing, and training, while coordinating across departments and communicating project status and strategic direction. The position requires a bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of progressive engineering experience.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
Rockford, IL, USA
Full time
JR120259
Life changing therapies. Global impact. Bridge to thousands of biopharma companies and their patients.
We are PCI.
Our investment is in People who make an impact, drive progress and create a better tomorrow. Our strategy includes building teams across our global network to pioneer and shape the future of PCI.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The essential duties and responsibilities include the following but other duties may be assigned.
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Lead the design and development of high-speed automated packaging equipment and associated manufacturing systems.
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Confer with management, production, and maintenance to analyze technical advancements, process improvements, space requirements, workflow, design layout of equipment and workspace to ensure efficient production methods and positive outcomes.
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Participate in the conceptual development of new and or modified production projects and oversee its organization, scheduling, and implementation.
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Develop strategic production process documentation to meet anticipated new project requirements in building / equipment / material flow.
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Plan and direct the installation, testing, operation, maintenance, and repair of facilities and equipment that are beyond the scope of maintenance utilizing Solid Works or CAD as necessary.
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Provide training to Production, Maintenance, and Validations on the operation of new systems.
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Manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines and bring assignments to successful completion.
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Lead, plan, direct, and coordinate capital budget activities concerned with equipment and new construction.
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Ability to manage projects from start to completion, including the collaboration and coordination of resources and departments outside of engineering.
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Communication to upper management on status of projects, issue resolution and strategic direction.
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Ensure activities are tied to a key process indicator or metric and communicate status, barriers and accomplishments.
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Composition of Project documentation to include CAPEX, Project Timelines, and Component Requisitions
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Composition of technical documentation including Engineering studies, WI, SOP, FAT, SAT, and URS
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This position may require overtime and/or weekend work.
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Knowledge of and adherence to all PCI, cGMP, and GCP policies, procedures, rules.
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Attendance to work is an essential function of this position
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Performs other duties as assigned by Manager/Supervisor.
Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required for the stated position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Required:
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Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
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10+ years of progressive engineering experience, with substantial experience designing, developing, integrating, and implementing automated manufacturing equipment
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Extensive experience with high-speed automated equipment, pharmaceutical packaging, inspection systems, or similarly complex regulated manufacturing equipment
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Demonstrated expertise in mechanical machine design and equipment development
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Strong working knowledge of robotics, servo systems, motion control, automation, machine vision, sensors, pneumatics, and integrated manufacturing systems
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Statistical and Advanced Mathematical Skills
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Advanced Computer Skills: Ability to perform the most complex computer tasks and operate various computer programs.
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Full Professional Proficiency: Ability to speak, read, and write fluently and accurately on all levels pertinent to professional needs.
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Highest Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems and deal with nonverbal symbolism in its most difficult phases while dealing with concrete/abstract variables.
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Supervisory Responsibilities
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Ability to Travel
Preferred:
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Experience in pharmaceutical packaging, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical device manufacturing, or highly regulated industries
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Experience with serialization, vision inspection, robotics, high-speed filling/packaging, automated material handling, or integrated production lines.
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Experience with PLC/controls architecture and integration with mechanical automation systems
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Experience leading large-scale automation or capital equipment programs
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Ability to effectively present information to various people as the job requires.
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Ability to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner.
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Ability to show success in managing employees.
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Ability to demonstrate attention to detail.
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Ability to provide strategic direction and independence in decision making skill to others in the engineering department.
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Ability to set challenging goals and drive accountability and collaboration to achieve these goals.
The hiring rate for this position is $137,250- $164,500 plus eligibility for an 10% annual performance bonus. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to specific and relevant experience, education, credentials, geography, and subject matter expertise. PCI offers full-time employees a competitive benefits package that includes paid time off, health insurance coverage (including dental and vision), a flexible spending account, and a 401(k) plan.
#LI-SW1
Join us and be part of building the bridge between life changing therapies and patients. Let’s talk future (https://pci.com/)
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement:
PCI Pharma Services is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital or domestic or civil union status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, disability, military eligibility or veteran status, or any other protected status.
At PCI, Equity and Inclusion are at the core of our company’s purpose: Together, delivering life-changing therapies. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive workplace by holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards of understanding, fairness, respect, and equal opportunity – at every level. We envision a PCI community where everyone can belong and grow, and we strive to bring this vision to reality by continuously and intentionally assessing our people practices, policies and programs, marketing approach, and workplace culture.
Why work for PCI Pharma Services?
At PCI, we have an uncompromising focus on providing quality and operational excellence and providing the industry leading customer experience. Our people make all of this happen, so providing an industry leading experience for our people is equally as important. By creating an authentic culture of purposeful work, we aspire to be an interesting and fulfilling place for talented individuals to grow careers. We live a philosophy of intentional learning combined with real-life experience supported by a fair and competitive rewards program. We are individuals, teams and a company that believes in our purpose and our approach is simple, the people who work at PCI fuel our business; we don’t say no, we figure out how.
PCI Pharma Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled
How this job compares
Set against the 1,741 open Mechanical Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$137–165K/yr
- Illinois median$119–170K/yr24 salary ranges
- US median$115–187K/yr871 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $151K, is 6% above the Illinois median midpoint ($143K) — in the middle half of Mechanical Engineering salary ranges in Illinois.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 42 open Mechanical Engineering jobs in Illinois and 1,741 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Illinois
- Sargent & Lundy7 open
- Actalent3 open
- Amazon2 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience — more than three in four Mechanical Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 976 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 777 of the 1,741 open Mechanical Engineering jobs (45%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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